Comedian, friend and Celebrity Memoirs Book Club Podcasters Ashley Hamilton and Claire Parker aren't enjoying the book they're currently reading – when I speak to them over Zoom, they're in the middle of reading a book by Australian influencer Tash Oakley. Be overly attachedhas proven to be a bland, cookie-cutter manual on how to start a business, and as Hamilton and Parker remind listeners at the start of every episode, this is not a podcast that provides a word-by-word summary of the week's book. Celebrity Memoirs Book Club What matters is how they feel about the piece. And that feeling is Be overly attached What they evoke is unwelcome respect and boredom.
“Tash Oakley had blocked me on Instagram for eight years at this point, meaning not even during my time as a pop culture critic. I was prepared to stand up and fight fire with fire, but all I can say is, Tash, you're a hard-working CEO and entrepreneur and you're amazing,” Parker told me.
Hamilton was less complimentary: “It's the dullest, most boring book ever to have a lime green cover. It's crazy that they'd put a lime green cover on the dullest business book ever to have.”
Hamilton and Parker first met in the Brooklyn comedy scene around 2017. Hamilton started doing stand-up in Los Angeles before moving to New York. When you're constantly doing open mics in the same neighborhood, “you either end up meeting and becoming friends, or you don't,” she says. Thankfully for us, it was the former.
The two bonded over their love of Taylor Swift and pop culture in general, and even started their first podcast together. Hold on, we're talking about Britney SpearsThe pair became friends just two months after the two were spotted, right around Britney Spears' birthday (December 2). They light-heartedly poked fun at Britney on the show, but when rumors about her conservatorship came to light, they ended the podcast for ethical reasons.
“We said, 'We're comedians, we don't know the law, and we're not going to look into it,' and we just gave in,” Parker recalls.
“At that point, the research [for the podcast] “We were prying into people's lives,” Hamilton added. “I'm glad people did that, but that wasn't us.”
Their next podcast will be Claire and Ashley are fighting“We fought a lot, so a lot “Very,” Hamilton says with a laugh.
But third time's a charm. Parker and Hamilton Celebrity Memoirs Book Club As celebrities rushed to publish books in September 2020 to make the most of lockdown, they also solved an ethical dilemma by focusing on celebrity memoirs rather than other areas of pop culture.
“this is [celebrities] “We publish books for public discussion and consumption, so reading and discussing these books doesn't make us feel like we're crossing anyone's boundaries,” Hamilton explains.
Despite this, there have been some negative reactions from celebrities. Celebrity Memoirs Book ClubIn particular, actress Busy Philipps responded to the episode about her book. It just hurts a littleThe two are her husband's (She has now separatedPhillips called them out on his podcast for meddling in his business. It just hurts a little.
“I understand that some people don't fully understand the consequences of publishing it, because I think there are big consequences to writing about your baby like this,” Hamilton said, adding: “It's a published work and it's going to be there when your baby is able to read it. There are consequences, but they're not my fault.”
When it comes to memoir, Hamilton and Parker value honesty above all else. Their favorite books they've read for the podcast include works by Viola Davis, Molly Shannon, Minka Kelly, Jennette McCurdy, and Michelle Zauner because they're well-written, truly soul-searching, and interesting. Books that are too ignorant and self-indulgent, like the works of Alec Baldwin, are fun to critique on the podcast.
And they don't finish everything they start. Parker called Whoopi Goldberg's memoir “a toilet book full of nonsense vignettes,” and didn't want to talk about Marilyn Manson's memoir on the podcast. “He felt like he wanted people to read it and say, 'You're messed up,'” Hamilton says. The pair also often avoid the work of comedians, whose work tends to be too rooted in the present, something Parker confesses is “close to his bones.” Examples of when they've broken the rules of comedy include: Celebrity Memoirs Book ClubThere are a lot of duds like Colin Jost. A face that makes you want to hit it,this is SNL Parker himself stars in the film, too. But for many fans, including me, these criticisms are the most entertaining listen, as Parker and Hamilton joke about the utter emptiness of these works.
Fans, along with their friendship, are at the heart of the podcast for the duo. Hamilton and Parker started the venture alone, and it has since reached number seven on the US comedy podcast charts, thanks in large part to their ability to connect with listeners. They host fan meet-ups and often Celebrity Memoirs Book Club They plan to schedule live show dates and even organize speed dating for people looking to make friends in their neighborhood. Caring about their listeners means making a living as podcasters without bombarding them with ads, which is why Parker and Hamilton recently partnered with Vox Media.
“We try to keep advertising minimal and on-brand because we want to keep our listeners engaged and interested in what we're talking about,” Hamilton said. Vox Media made sense as a partner for them. Celebrity Memoirs Book Clubfocuses on quality control and, in Parker's words, “we're two sassy New York girls and we feel our voice matches theirs.”
With or without ads, this is ultimately a friendship podcast: Parker and Hamilton's journey has been documented weekly through various projects since the early days of their relationship.
“We used to meet and we'd talk for an hour, but now when we meet to shoot an hour-long episode, it takes an average of four hours because we just talk the whole time,” Hamilton says fondly.
“We try to value our friendship. As I always tell people, [romantic] “It's important to build relationships and have anniversaries and long-term check-in dates,” Parker explains.
Whether you're getting together to record a podcast about a celebrity memoir or just for a drink, it's always worth giving your friends time. As Parker says, “It reminds you to tend to the garden of your love.”
Celebrity Memoirs Book Club Available wherever you listen to podcasts.
Claire Martin is a cemetery enthusiast. pasteAssistant Comedy Editor at . Attack her on Twitter translator.
